Millennium Hall built to give Drexel new look
Christopher Russell
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Ed-Op
The internal program of the building is where design addressing student living needs for a new generation is found. With the collaboration of a student design committee and Drexel student life officials, it was found that everything old was new again. Out are the three-bedroom suites, private baths and living rooms. An enlightened student body will once again utilize communal lounges, media rooms and centralized washrooms. By locating daily functions centrally, yet conveniently, students will more easily interact with each other, fostering a larger community outside of their apartment suites. Ingeniously, the social mixing does not end with one's floor but extends to others - a novel idea for high rise dormitories. Stairways are located on each end of the floors, receive amazing amounts of daylight thanks to glass curtain walls and are open and inviting - telling students that, yes, it is OK to go down to another floor's lounge to read, listen to music or crochet.
These well-intentioned interior design decisions will hopefully create a building interior that feels more "relaxed local coffee house" and less "raging animal house." Of course, those aspects of the Millennium Hall (or if you're inclined to acknowledge the Drexel rumor-mill: Papadakis Hall/Taki Tower) architecture will have to be experienced before architectural theory can be proven wrong. However, the building's outward expression can be concluded to be one of innovation, delight and sometimes vertigo, but one that adheres to the firm's design philosophy. McHenry produced a building whose beauty embodies its functionality, and Drexel has been able to further extend its architectural appreciation past orange brick.
Christopher Russell is a senior majoring in civil engineering. He can be reached at op-ed@thetriangle.org.
These well-intentioned interior design decisions will hopefully create a building interior that feels more "relaxed local coffee house" and less "raging animal house." Of course, those aspects of the Millennium Hall (or if you're inclined to acknowledge the Drexel rumor-mill: Papadakis Hall/Taki Tower) architecture will have to be experienced before architectural theory can be proven wrong. However, the building's outward expression can be concluded to be one of innovation, delight and sometimes vertigo, but one that adheres to the firm's design philosophy. McHenry produced a building whose beauty embodies its functionality, and Drexel has been able to further extend its architectural appreciation past orange brick.
Christopher Russell is a senior majoring in civil engineering. He can be reached at op-ed@thetriangle.org.
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